#AmWriting

#AmWriting, a collection of letters to benefit The Wayne Foundation. #AmWriting features letters from more than 60 authors, including Jeaniene Frost, T.J. Michaels, Kendall Grey, and many more!

Knowing what you know now of writing, publishing, and putting your art out into the world, if you could go back to the day you sat down to start typing in your very first manuscript, what words would you offer to yourself? Words of encouragement? Words of advice? Caution against certain pitfalls? Would you change anything about how you got to where you are today?

The publishing community is so much bigger than it was before the self-publishing boom and it continues to grow exponentially every day. Unfortunately, it doesn’t come with a handbook or support group. #AmWriting is a collection of letters written by authors from all different corners of the publishing community. The letters provide words of encouragement or advice to those just starting out or those who have become discouraged in their art. At Pure Textuality PR, we believe in supporting each other as a community, and we felt this project would be a good way to bring writers together and maybe give some new artists just the right nudge to keep going.

The letters contained in #AmWriting are all penned by real authors, each on their own journey in the world of being a storyteller. Without the beautiful words from these generous souls, #AmWriting never would have happened.

THE WAYNE FOUNDATION

100% of the net proceeds from #AmWriting will be donated to The Wayne Foundation, a charity dedicated to offering aid and services to young women victimized by illegal sexual exploitation and the sexual trafficking of minors.

The Wayne Foundation Vision Statement The Wayne Foundation’s vision is for a world without child slavery. We are dedicated to providing direct assistance to those victimized by exploitation. For more information about The Wayne Foundation and ways you can help out, please visit their website at http://waynefdn.org.

FORWARD

Every Great Adventurer Has to Have An Origin Story

Written by Jena Gregoire

The #AmWriting project is owed in large part to writer/director/podcastic guru Kevin Smith. I’ve read his book Tough Shit at least a dozen times, and I’ll probably read it a dozen more before I shuffle off this mortal coil. He’s a storyteller in the truest sense of the word, and he’s an artist who loves and supports fellow artists. Tough Shit has a great quote which helped shape the entire project:

“Remember: It costs nothing to encourage an artist, and the potential benefits are staggering. A pat on the back to an artist now could one day result in your favorite film, or the cartoon you love to get stoned watching, or the song that saves your life. Discourage an artist, you get absolutely nothing in return, ever.”

We all have to start somewhere.

That’s what we tell ourselves when we start in this industry, but it’s not all that reassuring. Once we’ve started publishing , I think we too quickly forget what it’s like to be that new writer, sitting down at a keyboard with the intent of writing a book for the first time. It’s an experience with a broad range of emotions-terror, excitement, self-consciousness, doubt, fear, pride, and sometimes even delusion.

As seasoned writers, we have all taken our own road to get here, no two experiencing the same pitfalls and celebrations, with the exception of the absolute uncertainty we all started out with. There is no how-to manual to tell you where to start or what to do next.

The letters contained herein are written by authors who have been where you are sitting right now. They know what you’re going through and what you’re about to go through. They’ve had great victories and made horrible mistakes, all of which taught them something and shaped their careers today. This book is our way of lending a little guidance and reassurance to those just beginning their journey. Sometimes all you need is to know you’re not alone, and that’s enough to keep you going.

It’s not by any means a handbook, but maybe #AmWriting will be just the thing you need to keep pushing forward.